Politics, Teens and other scary things...

The US election coverage here is increasing as the race comes to a close. Prime Minister Raila Odinga visited Obama’s family land, bringing the media along to show support for the Senator. The sentiment inKenya seems to be that Obama’s election will bring about improvements in Kenya as well, which in the immediate future seems very unlikely. And PM Odinga made a very precarious declaration, claiming that Obama's election will eliminate racial divide in the world. These large scale promises and expectations can lead to serious disappointment. The closer we get to next week, the more excited I get to see how another nation reacts to American politics. I will be sure to update you on the reactions here.

Home life is as exciting as ever. We just celebrated my little brother’s 13th birthday. I convinced his mom to get the kids noise makers, and they ran up and down the neighborhood disturbing everyone and having a blast doing it. I was so proud.

Simon's party, taking a second to pose before running around the neighborhood again. Words cant express how funny a sight this was.

Also at home, I discovered that there is a giant spider (at least 4 inches long, and FAST) that lives in the stairway and comes out at night. On many nights I have seen him on my way down to the kitchen and the thought of having to pass him has stopped me from going down to eat. (The film Arachnophobia has scarred me permanently.) But it’s become a great way to curb the midnight snacking. J

On a cute side note, yesterday morning’s walk to work consisted of 6 cows wandering around in the slum by my house, with no owner in site. One of them was mooing loudly and coming straight towards me. It was intimidating and funny all at the same time and I love the random run-ins with nature.

I wish you all a very Happy Halloween! Deep rooted beliefs in stories of witches have made the holiday nearly non-existent in Kenya (as it's too “devilish”) although neighborhoods with high populations of expatriates still celebrate. It's fascinating observing how traditional stories and cultural lore intersect with highly adopted religious beliefs.

"I am learning all the time. The tombstone will be my diploma" ~E. Kitt